Travel in Style: Five Football Stars With the Most Expensive Private Jets
20:48 GMT 23.02.2022 (Updated: 13:27 GMT 17.10.2022)
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The staggering piles of cash surrounding football has drastically increased over the years, with top clubs annually spending hundreds of millions of dollars on transfers and salaries. Some of the more well-heeled athletes face a daunting task; how to spend all that money they get from clubs and sponsorship deals.
Gone are the days when football stars were engaged in off the pitch competitions "who’s got the most posh and expensive car" now it’s all about private planes. After all, they are football gods, like the deities in whatever mythology they prefer to believe. Because you asked, here is a list of football stars with the most expensive private jets.
5 - Paul Pogba
Manchester United's Paul Pogba leaves the pitch after being shown a red card during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021
© AP Photo / Rui Vieira
His performance in Serie A for Juventus saw Manchester United shell out $127 million in 2016, the Premier League’s most expensive transfer at that time. Was he worth all that money? If you ask the Red Devils' fans you will likely hear a long diatribe full of profanities followed by a laconic "yes".
Paul Pogba, who is known for living the high life, owns a Gulfstream G280, which he uses to fly on vacations as well as for promotional events for Adidas. The jet, which is currently said to be worth some $20.3 million, can hold up to ten passengers, flying at up to 850 km/h with a range of 6,700 kilometers.
4 - Neymar
Brazil's Neymar gestures during a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Neo Quimica Arena stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, Nov.11, 2021
© AP Photo / Andre Penner
His $262 million transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 still remains the most expansive in the history of football. According to an analysis conducted by the BBC, for this sum of money one can either buy three Boeing 737-700 passenger planes, four private islands in the Bahamas, book 10,000 years in a budget hotel, or buy takeaway curry for every resident of Chile. For seven years.
The Brazilian owns a Cessna Citation Sovereign, which he uses to travel to and from his homeland. The jet, said to currently be worth some $21.6 million, accommodates up to 12 people, and its cruising speed reaches 890 km/h - but it can only travel an estimated 5,275 kilometers. In other words, Pogba will go farther than Neymar.
3 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Some like to speculate what will life look like by the end of the 21st century. It’s hard to make accurate forecasts, but we know for sure that the Swedish striker will still be playing football. Yes, he will be around when he is 118 years old; the athlete has proved many times that age is just a number. This season, the 40-year-old Ibrahimovic scored 8 goals and made 2 assists, helping AC Milan secure first place in Serie A.
The Swede owns a Cessna Citation Longitude, and a new one will cost you a cool $25.7 million. The jet can accommodate 12 passengers that can stand and eat over the course of a journey. It can fly at 894 km/h and has a range of 6,482 kilometers.
2 - Lionel Messi
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Stade de Reims v Paris St Germain - Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims, France - August 29, 2021 Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi
© REUTERS / BENOIT TESSIER
The Argentine doesn’t need an introduction - widely considered one of the the best players in the history of the sport (along with another player on this list). Lionel Messi is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, and, according to Forbes, has earned at least $1 billion over his storied career.
The striker owns a swanky Gulfstream V, which will set you back some $44.7 million. Its cruising speed reaches 966 km/h and it has a range of 10,742 kilometers. The plane, which can accommodate up to 16 people, has beds, showers and an event a room to host meetings, parties or any casual get together at 35,000 feet.
1 - Cristiano Ronaldo
Soccer Football - Euro 2020 - Group F - Hungary v Portugal - Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary - June 15, 2021 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their third goal
© REUTERS / ALEX PANTLING
Like Messi, the Portuguese football star doesn’t need an introduction. The 36-year-old owns a Gulfstream G650, an aircraft said to have the capability to connect all the capitals of the world in one flight. The jet, which can be had at the bargain basement price of $65 million, can seat 18 people and packs speeds of up to 982 km/h and has a range of some 12, 960 kilometers. Ronaldo's plane has a unique and custom paint job, featuring his CR7 sign on the exterior. Very classy.
